Process of making chain-links.



I J. M. DODGE.

PROCESS OF MAKING CHAIN LINKS.

APPLICATION FILED UAR. ll. 19H.

Patented May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V J. M. 00065.

PROCESS OF MAKING CHAIN LINKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. n. 914.

1, 1 39 ,0 1 9 Patbnted May 11, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

hierrizo s rsirss FATE QFFICE.

RQEZZES 7rd. DODGE, F

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LINK-BELT GOMYASY, 0F CHICAGQ, ILLINQIS, A CQRPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PROCESS 63E MAKING CHAIN-LINKS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Weenies-ma 11, 19%.

Appiicetion flied Kzreh 11. 1914. Serial No: 823,513.

om it may concern known that 1, JAMES M. Donor a.

of the United Etetes, residing in Iennsylvsnie, have invented 1 loiprovexnents in Process of Male l aioiinlts, of which the following 123 in links of drive chains of the type on open center for the reception of her at one end and o hooket the oppocod the reception of the bar of on ieininp: link. The limits are made detachfrom the other, and are also made aogoehie. application is a companion applies. to owe lilesl by me or. the 8th clay of Keri Dodge on the 8th day of .ji, No. i' llfllZfi.

it oi my ent invention is to :re the construction "13% .1 .ove described and to make the quad- .zxuior body portion from a round oar, iett ened and shaped. so "as to he readily ted; to the hook memlmr by Welding, in a make .1 substantial link which will Pt substitute for the JlGSQllt malleable iron 1; e. which will he interchangeable i... with. This ob iect l. attain in the fol lowing manner, reference being had to the eceoi ni innying drawings, in which Figure 1, is :1 perspective view of my iniclnxin link; Fig. 2, is a longitudinal View on the line 0.-u, Fig. 3; Fig. am View; F591. l, is it, transverse seef or. the line -1), Fig. 3; 5, ans-wise sectional view on the line 3; Fig. 6, is. a longitudinal sec-- tiomil r on the line (l-d, Fig. 7. showing the body portion and the hook member assen'ihled. prior to welding; Fig. *l'. is a plan View of the linleprior to assembling; Figs. 8 and f9, zu'c'filan, zu1d sitle views, rcspeo .tivr

illustrating of forming the 1 .g a rounri he.

ho ly portion by flattenigs. i and 11,-:ire views of the second st-c' hi the process, showing the cutting of the flattened portion; Figs. 12 endl illustrate the third step in the KIVQIzlZlGI; relates to certain improve-- th of a sprocket Wheel and having a 3. Sei'iol No. 747,101, and also of a link of the he first step in the procout from the bar; Fig. 15. is n View showing the blank oent at each end; Fig. 16, is a VlGW showing the blank bent to form the quadrangular body portion; Fig. 17, is a, view of the finished body portion really to have the hook members applied thereto, as in Fig. 7; Fig. 18, is an enlarged perspective View one of, the hook elements showing the first step in the process of making the some; Fi 1* is an enlarged view of one of the hook elements showing the second step in the process of making the same; and Fig. 20, is a perspective View, showing the hook elements assembled to fit the body portion, as illustrated in Fig. '7.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the body portion of the link made rectangular and liming an open center into which the teeth of the sprocket wheel. can project. This hotly portion is made from a round bar in the present instance, and is bent into shape to form the round end bar 3, tapered side bars 4, and the flat end members 5, igs 8, 7 and 17. The two end members 5, in the present instance. are preferably arranged to Contact one with the other within the hook section 2, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

The. hook section is made of alseries of hlunlcs 6, assembled sirle by side, and those blanks have :1 socket 7 for the reception of an end bar 3 of an adjoining link and are slotted at 8 directly back oi the socket to receive the end members 5 of the body portion. Vlhen the two parts are assembled. they are secured together, preferably by Welding, so as to make an integral link. The slot 8 in the hook member 2 is arranged at an angle, as clearly illustrated in Fig. (3, and'the end 1il0l'l'll191 5 of the l ocly portion is also arranged at the same angle and these end members are of a greater depth than the bolance of the hotly portion and preferably eX- yet to allow, sufficient metal to make a firm union between the two parts.

It is essential, at the present time, that the link should interchange with an ordinary standard malleable link of the same size or number, and by making the link as above described it will interchange.

I make the blank for the body portion in the following manner :-A rod of a diameter to lit the socket member is flattened at intervals, as shown at 9, Figs. 8 and 9, so as to increase its Width and to reduce its depth. Then this flattened portion is shaped by cutting away the depression on each side of a central projection 10, as illustrated in Figs. 10 and 1 1. This, however, leaves sharp corners at the edges 11 and 12. The blank is then placed in dies, which round the edges 11 and 12, a5

illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13. The blank is then in condition to be cut in the proper length, as illustrated in Fig. 14, and I preferably make the blanks so that one end memher 5 will be of a greater length than the other member 5, so as to break joints with the sections of the hook member, as illustrated in Fig. 7. In this instance, there are four sections of the hook member, but, where the number is uneven, the ends 5 can be of the same length. The ends are then bent, as illustrated-in Fig. 5, at the point as, m, Fig. ll to form the end members, and are finally bent at y, y, Fig. 15, so as to form the tapered side members, as illustrated in Fig. 16. The blank is finally shaped in suitable dies so as to bring the ends of the end memher 5 substantially in contact, as in Fig. 17, and to reduce any fins which might be formed on the body portion. At this step in thcpri'iccss the notches 13 are formed so that the links can be coupled by sliding the end bar into the socket of an adjoining link.

The blanks for the hook member 2 are punched from sheet metal and notched at the upper edge back of the socket 7, as at 14:, Fig. 18. Then the blanks are assembled and cut by a suitable tool to form a deep slot 8, Fig. 19. The mouth of the slot is preferably enlarged by bevcling the side Walls, as shown at l5, Figs. (3 and 19, and as the end bar extends above the hook member it provides sullicicnt metal to properly make the slot. The old is usually made by an acetylene flame and the excess metal of the hook member and the body portion is sufficient to make a proper weld, but it will be understood that additional metal may be added in some instances, without departing from the essential feature of the invention.

The finished weld will have the appearance, as illustrated at 10, Figs. 1 and 2, and an additional wold may be made as at v, l*-igs. l and to unite the sections of the hook member together at the point of the hook.

A link made in accordance with my invention has been tested and compared with a malleable link of the same standard size, and it is stronger than the malleable iron link and can be manufactured at a less cost I claim:-

1. The process herein described of making a quadrangular body portionof an open rectangular link, said process consisting in first flattening a round bar at intervals; cutting a portion of the flattened part away to leave a portion of a greater width than the round a quadrangular body portion of a chain link,

said process consisting in flattening and tapering a portion of a round b so as to in crease its width; then cutting the surplus metal from the flattened and tapered part, leaving an extension on one side to form the end members of a link; then cuttin the blank at the flattened part; and finally bending the blank into quadrangular shape.

3. The process herein described of making a quadrangular body portion of a link, the same consisting in first flattening a. round bar at intervals; removing a portion of each flattened part, leaving a projection at one side thereof; then cutting the bar into lengths at the flattened parts, so as to form blanks with projections at each end; and then bending the blank into quad, angular shape with the flattened portions abutting.

4. The process herein described of makin the quadrangular portion of a link, sai process consisting in flattening and taperin a bar at intervals so as to increase the widt of the bar; removing-the surplus metal from one side of the flattened part of the bar and removing portions of the metal from the other side of the bar, leaving projections at intervals; cutting the'bar at the projections so as to form blanks having enlargements at one side and at each end; then bending the blank to form the quadrangular body portion having a round bar at one end and the flat members at the other end, with tapered,

side members.

5. The process herein described of making a quadrangular chain link, said process consisting in flattening a round bar at intervals to increase its width; removing the surplus, metal at one side of the flattened portion of the bar so that that sideof the blank will be projections, forming a blank with the pro- In testimony whereof, I have signed my jections on the same side and at each end name to this specification, in the presence of bending the blank at each side of the round two subscribing witnesses.

central portion and bending it at the end of JAMES M. DODGE. the flattened portions so as to form a. round Witnesses:

cross bar and flat end members of a greater CLYDE T. Mom,

height than the cross bar. WM. A. BARR. 

